Bluegrassrivals

A few reminders...

All-SEC West 1st team will be available tommorrow night, my Big Ten preview will be available Friday Night...

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Enjoy...

[size=4]Auburn
[/size]Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville

Last Season: 9-3 (lost to Wisconsin 24-10 in Capital One Bowl)

# of returning starters: 12 (6 offense, 6 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Brandon Cox (177-306, 2324 yards, 15 TD, 8 INT)

Rushing: Kenny Irons (256 att, 1337 yards)

Receiving: Courtney Taylor (22 rec, 278 yards)

Tackles: Will Herring (69)

Sacks: Quentin Groves (6)

Interceptions: Eric Brock (1)

Schedule/Projected W-L (swing games in bold)
Sept. 2 Washington St. W

Sept. 9 at Mississippi St. W

Sept. 16 LSU W

Sept. 23 Buffalo W

Sept. 28 at South Carolina W

Oct. 7 Arkansas W

Oct. 14 Florida L

Oct. 21 Tulane W

Oct. 28 at Mississippi W

Nov. 4 Arkansas St. W

Nov. 11 Georgia W

Nov. 18 at Alabama W

11-1 overall (7-1 conference)
5 “swing” games

Analysis
Auburn has the best rushing attack in the league (it’s not even close IMO), and there defense is always good. Last year they only allowed 15 PPG….

The idiots who wanted Tuberville out after 2003 should be sent to jail…..

Don’t let last year’s loss in the bowl game confuse you (Wisconsin was playing it’s last game under Barry Alvarez), Auburn will not suffer a hangover…

I wouldn’t be surprised if the winner of the Auburn/Florida game on the 14th goes undefeated….

Arkansas

Head Coach: Houston Nutt (62-46 overall)

Last season: 4-7 (no bowl)

# of returning starters: 19 (10 offense, 9 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Robert Johnson (89-158, 876 yards, 5 TD, 6 INT)

Rushing: Darren McFadden (176 att, 1181 yards)

Receiving: Marcus Monk (35 rec, 476 yards)

Tackles: Sam Olajubutu (118)

Sacks: Desmond Sims (5.5)

Interceptions: Michael Coe (3)

Schedule/Projected W-L (swing games in bold)
Sept. 2 USC L

Sept. 9 Utah St. W

Sept. 16 at Vandy W

Sept. 23 Alabama W

Oct. 7 at Auburn L

Oct. 14 SE Missouri St. W

Oct. 21 Mississippi W

Oct. 28 ULM W

Nov. 4 at South Carolina L

Nov. 11 Tennessee L

Nov. 18 at Mississippi St. W

Nov. 24 LSU W

8-4 overall (5-3 conference)
6 “swing” games

Analysis
Remember Alabama last year? Arkansas will be the shocking team from the SEC this year. Houston Nutt is too good of a coach to go three straight years without a bowl game… Also not the # of returning starters, this defense will rival Bama’s from last year….

See Robert Johnson as the leading returning passer? Forget him, Mitch Mustain (#1 ranked QB recruit) will start against USC, and the rest of the year….

I give Arkansas a 50-50 shot at beating USC the first game of the year….

Arkansas almost beat LSU last season in death valley, they’ll get them in Little Rock this time around….

LSU
Head Coach: Les Miles (39-23 overall)

Last season: 11-2 (40-3 win over Miami in Peach Bowl)

# of returning starters: 11 (6 offense, 5 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: JaMarcus Russell (188-311, 2443 yards, 15 TD, 9 INT)

Rushing: Justin Vincent (121 att, 521 yards)

Receiving: Dwayne Bowe (41 rec, 710 yards)

Tackles: Ali Highsmith (75)

Sacks: Ali Highsmith (4)

Interceptions: LaRon Landry (3)

Schedule/Projected W-L (swing games in bold)
Sept. 2 Louisiana Lafayette W

Sept. 9 Arizona W

Sept. 16 at Auburn L

Sept. 23 Tulane W

Sept. 30 Mississippi St. W

Oct. 7 at Florida L

Oct. 14 Kentucky W

Oct. 21 Fresno St. W

Nov. 4 at Tennessee W

Nov. 11 Alabama W

Nov. 18 Mississippi W

Nov. 24 at Arkansas L

9-3 overall (5-3 conference)
5 “swing” games

Analysis
I’m still not sure if LSU will settle on a QB at the beginning of the year. The sooner they find who they want, the better off they will be…..

All four of their toughest games are on the road, an obvious disadvantage (I have them going 1-3 in those games…)

Les Miles is a solid coach. What he did at Oklahoma St. was amazing, but he’s going to take some heat if they go 9-3, and lose 3 conference games….

Watch out for Ryan Perrilloux, he was the #1 prep QB two years ago, he could get a ton of snaps…..

Alabama
Head Coach: Mike Shula (20-17 overall)

Last season: 10-2 (beat Texas Tech 13-10 in Cotton Bowl)

# of returning starters: 13 (9 offense, 4 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: John Parker Wilson (7-11, 96 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT)

Rushing: Kenneth Darby (239 att, 1294 yards)

Receiving: DJ Hall (48 rec, 676 yards)

Tackles: Juwan Simpson (64)

Sacks: Bobby Greenwood (3)

Interceptions: Simeon Castille (2)

Schedule/Projected W-L (swing games in bold)
Sept. 2 Hawaii W

Sept. 9 Vandy W

Sept. 16 ULM W

Sept. 23 at Arkansas L

Sept. 30 at Florida L

Oct. 7 Duke W

Oct. 14 Mississippi W

Oct. 21 at Tennessee L

Oct. 28 Florida International W

Nov. 4 Mississippi St. W

Nov. 11 at LSU L

Nov. 18 Auburn L

7-5 overall (3-5 conference)
6 “swing” games

Analysis
Alabama losses six of their top seven tackles from last year’s team, the defense will not be as good obviously….

Kenneth Darby could and probably should get the ball upwards of 300 times this year, I don’t see the passing game being a factor at all, Wilson got little time last year…..

I expect Bama to finish this year like they did last year, with back to back losses to end the regular season to LSU and Auburn….

They get two of the “top” 3 from the SEC east and LSU on the road, not a good combo….

Ole Miss
Head Coach: Ed Oregeron (3-8 overall)

Last season: 3-8 (no bowl)

# of returning starters: 10 (5 offense, 5 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Robert Lane (9-22, 79 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT)

Rushing: Mico McSwain (124 att, 696 yards)

Receiving: Robert Lane (17 rec, 213 yards)

Tackles: Patrick Willis (128)

Sacks: Garry Pack (3)

Interceptions: Trumaine McBride (1)

Schedule/Projected W-L
Sept. 2 Memphis W

Sept. 9 at Missouri W

Sept. 16 at Kentucky W

Sept. 23 Wake Forest W

Sept. 30 Georgia L

Oct. 7 Vandy W

Oct. 14 at Alabama L

Oct. 21 at Arkansas L

Oct. 28 Auburn L

Nov. 4 Northwestern St. W

Nov. 18 at LSU L

Nov. 25 Mississippi St. W

7-5 overall (3-5 conference)
4 “swing” games

Analysis
It’s not a good sign when you leading passer is your first string TE, but don’t let that fool you, as the Rebels will bring in former Tennessee QB and JUCO star Brent Schaeffer. He has 4.4 speed, plus a decent arm….

Orgeron is going to bring in the talent, he was one of the recruiting wizards at USC during their magical reign, he’ll have Ole Miss contenders in the west for a long time….

It’s true that Ole Miss returns the second fewest starters in the league, but that’s not a bad thing, it’ll give the pups (more talented than last year’s seniors) a chance to grow. I really think Ole Miss is going to be this year’s Vandy….

Call me an idiot, but I think Ole Miss goes to a bowl this year…..

Mississippi St.
Head Coach: Sylvester Croom (6-16 overall)

Last season: 3-8 (no bowl)

# of returning starters: 16 (8 offense, 8 defense)

Returning Leaders:
Passing: Omarr Conner (86-187, 903 yards, 8 TD, 5 INT)

Rushing: Brandon Thornton (47 att, 245 yards)

Receiving: Will Prosser (28 rec, 286 yards)

Tackles: Quinton Culbertson (78)

Sacks: Michael Heard (3.5)

Interceptions: Jeramie Johnson (4)

Schedule/Projected W-L
Aug. 31 South Carolina L

Sept. 9 Auburn L

Sept. 16 Tulane W

Sept. 23 at UAB L

Sept. 30 at LSU L

Oct. 7 West Virginia L

Oct. 14 Jacksonville St. W

Oct. 21 at Georgia L

Oct. 28 Kentucky L

Nov. 4 at Alabama L

Nov. 18 Arkansas L

Nov. 25 at Mississippi L

2-10 overall (0-8 conference)
4 “swing” games

Analysis
Mississippi St. is a joke. Blame it on whoever you want, but this team’s offense is awful (that was with Jerious Norwood last season, an all-SEC RB). This year this team will struggle to score more than two touchdowns a game….

Sly Croom will get time to turn it around, but I have heavy doubt that he ever will. His offenses have been terrible during his tenure. Last season they averaged less than 10 points per game in conference….

I’ll go ahead and say it, this will be the worst team the SEC has seen since late 90’s Vandy….

Giving them two wins is generous in all honesty…..

I would have to agree with Auburn winning the West... they have probably the best team in the SEC overall.. it should be a very tough conference like it always is.. but anything can happen

Again great preview NASTY!!!!!!!

Keep them coming.